


It's Bitter, but It's Sweet

by capscicle



Category: Bucky Barnes - Fandom, High School AU - Fandom, MCU, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Steve Rogers - Fandom, Stucky - Fandom, james barnes - Fandom, steve rogers x bucky barnes - Fandom, stucky fics
Genre: I don't know what else to say, M/M, Minor Character Death, bucky struggles with his emotions, but it's cute, emotional af, mild bullying, severe cursing, steve and sam have the cutest friendship, steve is not a morning person, these tags are gonna suck, this story is brief
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-12-10 01:56:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11681592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/capscicle/pseuds/capscicle
Summary: It's been several months since the passing of Steve's mother, Sarah, and he's struggling with not only that, but now with the fact that he's living alone, working 2 part time jobs to uphold the one thing that he has of his mother, and dealing with his upcoming junior year of high school. He thinks he has to deal with things all by himself, but he really doesn't, considering his best friend, Sam Wilson, has his back through it all.





	It's Bitter, but It's Sweet

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first (finished) fic, and I have always wanted to make an ao3, so alas, here is a finished and posted fic. I know some things don't make sense, and are probably out of place? But cut me some slack, I'm learning! I'll get there eventually! Anyway, thanks for stopping by!

The morning sun snuck it’s way between Steve’s blinds, casting a bright reflection onto the wall in front of the boy, who unbeknownst to the rest of the world, is fast asleep. He began to stir, eyes swaying rapidly behind his eyelids. His face was soft, strung up with sandy blonde eyebrows and a mop of equally blonde hair sitting on the top of his head, splayed over his white pillows. A soft chirping sound eased Steve out of slumber, the sound emerging from the window sill of now his two bedroom apartment that his mother so rightfully owned before passing about 6 months back, leaving Steve with the apartment and 2 part-time jobs trying to make ends meet. He suppose he could just move, as his best friend Sam stated one night as he was munching on a gigantic pretzel, eyes glued to Steve's laptop screen, but he doesn’t want to let this one thing of his mom’s slip through his fingers. Especially if he can still smell her when he walks into or past her bedroom. That familiar smell that always eased his conscience and anxiety. He rolled over.  
“Jesus, fuck,” Steve groaned, throwing his arm over his eyes. He slammed his hand down on his alarm clock, turning it off before the irritating sound of middle-aged men started roaring through the speakers about a baseball game that happened the night prior. He fell onto his back and stared at his ceiling. 6 A.M. He had to be at school in 30 minutes, but luckily his mother moved the two of them to a neighborhood that was conveniently only a 5 minute walk away from Anabruzzo High. All he’d have to do is get up, get dressed, make himself a bowl of Frosted Flakes, and storm out the door into the unforgiving world of high school. He closed his eyes. 

Easier said than done.

__

“Dude!” Steve wrestled his cell phone out of Sam’s grip, resulting with a punch in the arm. Sam laughed, letting Steve win this one. “Jesus. Why do you always gotta pick on me?” Sam wrapped his arm around Steve’s shoulders.  
“Who else am I gonna pick on that isn’t going to shove me into a nearby trashcan, man?” A small boy, just about Steve’s height, with wide red-rimmed glasses and an overbite walked past them, suspenders, flannel and all, books stacked up high, resting just below his rounded chin. His hair was red as fire, and was sticking every which way. Steve raised his eyebrows at Sam, as Sam watched the kid pass.  
“Man,” Sam drawled, “don’t be rude.” He let go of Steve, but was smirking nonetheless. Steve chuckled, hoisting his now heavy backpack over his shoulders. He usually stuffs all his morning class textbooks in his bag first, and then switches them out with his after lunch classes. He shut his locker, and clasped his fingers together, thumbs latched around his backpack straps. The two began walking toward their first period, which coincidentally, was next to each other: Steve, Economics; Sam, Biology (again).  
“‘You doing okay in bio?” Steve asked, flicking his hair out of his eyes. He thanked God that he managed to comb his hair in time before running out the door, otherwise he’d look just like the kid that passed ‘em minutes earlier. (He under-estimated how long it’d take to get ready, considering he forgot all his clothes were in the hamper. He really needed to do laundry tonight.) Sam shrugged.  
“I’m doing alright. Mrs. Rylie is helping me out one-on-one, so…” Steve whistled.  
“Ooh,” he exclaimed cheekily. “One-on-one, huh? You think you can handle that without the excessive drooling?” Sam shoved Steve gently.  
“Don’t start, man,” Sam groaned. "That was one time!" A laugh bubbled out of Steve. “You know? I think I'm finally getting the hang of things. Hopefully I—“ Sam heard a grunt, and turned to see his best friend flailing on his back like an up-ended turtle.  
“Jesus!” Sam heard Steve murmur under his breath. Sam leaned down, hoisting Steve to a sitting position, sliding the heavy backpack off of Steve in the process. The two looked up, to their dismay, it was the kid that has had it out for Steve for the longest time—Bucky Barnes. Neither of them knew exactly why, but that didn’t stop Sam from confronting the bully every time he pulled a similar stunt that caused Steve bodily harm. Sam got to his feet, and shoved the now chortling peer.  
“What the fuck is your problem, man?” Sam declared, fisting the front of Bucky’s shirt. Bucky feigned a look of hurt.  
“I don’t know what you mean,” his voice, mock accusatory. Humiliated to the point of a distorted reality, and everything going in slow motion, Steve struggled to get to his feet. He weaved his way in between Sam and Bucky, facing his best friend whose face was hard. He placed a hand on his chest to keep Sam from ultimately swinging—Steve knew that if he didn’t act fast, all three of them would wind up in the principal’s office.  
“Sam,” Steve warned, his eyes pleading. “It’s fine. Please just…let it go.” Sam shifted his gaze from Steve to Bucky before letting go of Bucky’s shirt, and storming halfway down the hallway. Steve let go a breath he didn’t know he was holding in, and reached down to grab his bag. Bucky didn’t move. He hadn’t expected the little shrimp to be so blasé. Steve took one last glance at Bucky before meeting up with Sam as they walked off toward class.

___

“So,” Tim crunched on his celery stick, “I heard you got your ass handed to you by Bucky Barnes.” Steve slammed his fork down, spraying mashed corn all over the table. That was the 15th time he’s heard about the little stand-off, and it’s only 11:45 AM, and quite frankly, Steve was annoyed as fuck.  
“Can we talk about anything else please?!” Steve cried, waving his hands in the air. “I’m so fucking sick of hearing about that! You know what I was in that fight right? I was there! I saw everything! I don’t need fucking commentary as if I wasn’t!” Tim’s eyes grew wide, his celery stick hanging off his bottom lip. Sam, who was sitting to Steve's right, stared at Steve, surprised by his sudden outburst. Steve huffed out a breath before kicking his chair back, and storming out of the cafeteria.  
“God,” Tim murmured around his celery stick. “What the fuck is up with him?” Sam shrugged.  
“Woke up on the wrong side of the bed, I guess.” The two decided to let Steve cool off, wherever he was, and ate the rest of their lunch in quiet.  
Meanwhile, Steve treaded toward the library, fuming. “Fuck Bucky,” he grumbled. “Fuck Tim. Fuck the fucking universe and it’s lack of fucking empathy for us little guys.” He rounded the corner, only to come face to face with the last fucking person he wanted to see. Steve stumbled, catching himself at the last second before he took a tumble.  
“Jesus,” Bucky blinked, finally registering who he ran into, only to furrow his eyebrows at the strange, contorted look that presented itself on Steve's face. Steve’s last nerve snapped, red overcoming every sense of logic in his brain that was telling him “No, Steve, don’t!” He grabbed Bucky by his front shirt, and slammed him into the brick wall behind them.  
“What the FUCK is your problem?!” Steve raged. “What have I EVER DONE to you, huh?! Why do you always have to pick on the little guy?! EVER HEARD OF PICKING ON SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE? I'VE DONE NOTHING TO YOU, BUCKY BARNES, SO LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!” Bucky spluttered, words failing him. He hadn't expected an outburst like that, especially not from little Steve Rogers, the kid who hardly ever spoke in class. The kid who never put up a fight. He watched Steve’s face screw up, tears brimming the blonde’s eyelashes, as his hands fisted into Bucky’s shirt, shoving him again and again into the wall he was already leaning against. Steve finally realized that it wasn’t anger that he was feeling, it was boiling into something different, something he hadn’t felt since early that summer, when he realized that his mother was going to die before he was. Steve's tough demeanor escaped him, leaving a tired and scared little boy behind. He rested his forehead into Bucky’s sternum, sobs wracking his diminutive and frail body. Students gathered now, watching the scene unfold, wondering what Bucky, the “alpha-male of the student body,” would do. Bucky didn’t even know what he would do. But that didn't stop his body from reacting, soon feeling his arms wrap around Steve’s shoulders, pulling him closer to his body, hugging him tight. Steve began fully crying now, not caring if he sounded like a child. To be frank, it broke Bucky’s heart. A teacher ran out to see what all the ruckus was about, only to see the two boys embracing in the hallway instead of fighting.  
Bucky continued to hold Steve as Steve’s sobs finally tapered off after several minutes. His body was no longer shaking. He felt Steve’s lungs rattle as he inhaled and exhaled, finally calming down. To Steve’s dismay, he felt like a total idiot. Weeping into the arms of your school bully? This isn’t a fucking rom-com, Rogers. He mentally chastised himself. Slowly, he pulled away from Bucky, not daring to make eye contact. Bucky shoved his hands into his pockets’, looking everywhere but at Steve.  
“Steve—“  
“Don’t.” Steve shot him a glare. “Just…don’t, alright.” Steve turned to walk away before Bucky grabbed him by the shoulder.  
“Steve,” he began again. “Steve, please! I’m sorry, alright?” Steve watched the boy’s teeth worry his lip. He didn’t say anything. Bucky hesitated before continuing. “I’m sorry I’ve picked on you these past few months, and I’m sorry that I humiliating you this morning--I’m sorry for all of it, alright? I’m just...I'm sorry.” Steve bit the inside of his cheek, silence enveloping them both. He tasted copper.  
“Okay.” Steve finally said. Bucky perked.  
“Okay?”  
“Okay. Thank you.” Bucky’s face fell into a solemn expression. Steve sighed. “I don’t forgive you, alright? But your apology is appreciated; thank you.” Bucky swallowed, staring down at his shoes, nodding.  
“Yeah...you’re welcome.” Steve turned to head back toward the cafeteria, before facing Bucky again.  
“Do you want to join me for lunch?” He asked, the words surprising even him. Bucky’s head shot up.  
“Really?” He asked. Steve nodded.  
“Yeah.” Bucky broke out into a small smile, trailing close behind Steve as the two walked made their way toward the Commons.


End file.
